This late 15the Century Flemish tapestry once adorned Toledo’s Catedral Primada Santa María de Toledo. Now it hangs in Toledo’s fascinating Museo Santa Cruz, along with some cool stuff by El Greco, Giordano and Ribero. This was taken in 2011 with Anita’s great little Canon SD 1400 IS point and shoot as my gorilla tripod couldn’t be set up far enough away and high enough to use my old, light insensitive DSLR.
*********
In the top left is the Prime Mover (aka God) aided in moving the cosmos by an angel turning a crank while Atlas lends a hand or two.
In the centre is the Cosmos showing zodiacal symbols with stars above and nature below.
On the right is Philosophía enthroned, females showing Arithmetic and Geometry, the poet Virgil and the classical astronomer, Hipparchus. The tapestry is one of three – the other two, sadly, having been lost. They were purchased by Diego López de Ayala, the cathedral’s superintendent of works for 40 years, from the Marquis de Pliego, a noble from Córdoba, the capital of Andalusía from the eighth C. until it was reconquered by Christians under Fernando III in 1236.
I know… it’s all a little crazy, but remember that in those days the sun revolved around the earth.
P.S. See my post on the amazing Córdoba.
mightyturk 